Located in Shoreditch, the creative heart of London, the London Design Fair is a four-day industry event that brings together 500 exhibitors from 28 countries, including: independent designers, established brands, international country pavilions, features and exhibitions.

Slash Objects Guest Country USA.

Launched in 2007, the London Design Fair has earned itself the reputation as the go-to trade show during the annual London Design Festival, hosting the single largest collection of international exhibitions, designers, brands, country pavilions, features and galleries throughout the festival. Each year, over 27,000 influential retail buyers, producers, architects, designers, interior designers, press and design-savvy public, will attend to see the very latest in furniture, lighting, textiles, materials and conceptual installations, from all around the world.

Ariane Prin Material of the Year.

Building on its prodigious reputation, visitors to the 2017 London Design Fair can expect a first-rate design exhibition. This year, the London Design Fair will launch its Material of the Year—Jesmonite—as well as its inaugural show theme—botany. The British Craft Pavilion will make a welcome return to the fair, and after the success of ‘This is India’ in 2016, the Guest Country spotlight in 2017 falls on the USA in Sight Unseen’s curated gallery ‘Assembly’.

Dutch Invertuals Netherlands Dutch Stuff.

Other highlights include Dutch Stuff, the Netherlands’ long-awaited design debut at London Design Fair. This showcase presents a curated selection of over seventy designers, studios and products in a gallery-style. The Inspiring Portugal pavilion will return to the Fair. Curated by renowned designer Marco Sousa Santos, it will showcase Portugal’s best emerging and established brands. South Korea’s leading player in the field of design since 2002, Seoul Design Festival is a theme oriented exhibition where designers express their creativity through experimental ideas.

Don’t forget to register for Decorex International, the must-see show for interior design professionals, part of the 2017 London Design Festival. In its 40th year, 2017 is not to be missed as Decorex celebrates collaborations, both past and present, during the course of four days.

Bert Frank Revolve Rise and Fall Brass and Black Insitu

Highlights this year include:

The Champagne Bar, designed by Interior Designer, Shalini Misra. Taking inspiration from the Great Exhibition of 1851, the design studio will “create a contemporary interpretation of a glasshouse infused with graphic pattern, luxe detailing and curiosities”.

An extensive programme of talks is scheduled exploring current trends, projects and predictions for this year’s seminar programme. Bringing together the industry’s leading experts, highlights include a discussion of the Future of design by acclaimed stylist Emilio Pimentel Reid, Francis Sultana and Kirstie Carey from Cole & Son and an analysis into colour trends with Hannah Malein from ColourHive.

Decorex’s acclaimed feature, Future Heritage, curated by applied arts and design critic, Corinne Julius, showcases works by the names to commission and collect in British contemporary craft. Makers involved this year include: David Marques, Helen Carnac & David Gates, Lauren Nauman, Matt Davis, Merel Karhof & Marc Trotereau, Ilona Broeseliske, Naomi Mcintosh, Pia Wüstenberg, Richard Lowry, Simon Hasan and Zac Eastwood-Bloom. The VIP Lounge, in association with House & Garden magazine, this year designed by leading Interior Design company, Turner Pocock. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Pocock will be collaborating with anumber of designers to create a tropical inspired space, with pattern and colour taking centre stage.

Ptolemy Mann Jodhpur Blue Flatweave.

Over 400 exhibitors, with more than 30% new to the show, including: Jonathan Rogers, Fanny Shorter, House of Hackney and Annie Sloan.

Dulwich Picture Gallery will host a new season of themed Lates on the first Friday of the month throughout Autumn. Following a string of sold-out summer Lates in the Gallery's Pavilion, this new and ambitious series will bring visitors up close and personal with the Permanent Collection through immersive activities, talks and workshops and feature exciting collaborations with creatives and performers, including AVM Curiosities and Wild Life Drawing.

The series kicks off with a night celebrating deadly females, dangerous women and queen bees. Taking inspiration from Cristofano Allori’s powerful portrait, Judith, visitors can discover the unsung ‘sheroes’ of time gone by with feminist art project, Herstory and draw Mother Nature’s matriarchs with live animal drawing from Wild Life Drawing.

A multi-sensory evening inspired by Antonio de Pereda’s Two Figures at a Kitchen Table, a 17th century masterpiece filled with exquisite details. Visitors can make their own edible masterpiece, interact with a feasting-inspired installation and take part in a smelling and tasting tour of the collection with AVM Curiosities.

The ultimate Halloween Late which will explore our complex and contradictory attitudes to death through the paintings in Dulwich Picture Gallery's collection and its mausoleum where the Gallery's founders are buried. The line-up will include talks and tours, death cafés, memento mori workshops and macabre salons.

Iconic British brand Heal’s has partnered with two very different interiors experts to produce two unique window installations at their Westbourne Grove store. Using only pieces from Heals’ roster of past, present and future UK design icons, their creative partners have re-created their ideal ‘home from home’ within the Heal’s store.

Both installations, created by interiors journalist and writer Kate Watson-Smyth and interiors stylist Tiffany Grant-Riley, showcase two very different styles in two very different rooms. For Kate, a self-confessed ‘monochrome maximalist’, it was all about creating a relaxed living space complete with opulent fabrics, while Tiffany re-made her personal workspace in imitable Scandi style.

Both women were passionate that their installations should reflect both the breadth of twentieth century British design, and the actual interior of a working home. ‘There’s definitely a correlation between what’s happening in the world and trends,’ says Kate. ‘I think we’ll continue to see that urge to nest – lots of cosy textures and warm colours. So it was important to be honest about my space, who might live in it and who was going to use it. I wanted there to be the sense that you could come up and sit in the window at Heal’s, or as if whoever lived there had just got up for a second to go into another room.’

Tiffany agrees: ‘I think British design is all about being inventive and a bit rebellious. The British are great at adjusting but also keeping one eye on tradition – it’s not afraid to make a point, but also about creating a safe space, making it the perfect foil for today’s world. Minimalism is becoming more of a lifestyle choice for Brits, rather than a colour palette. We’ll be seeing more colour and more storage – reducing the clutter to give you more physical and mental space to cope!’

The installations were styled live on 27th August, with selected media contacts and friends of Heal’s coming to watch the rooms take shape before their eyes, while the public could also come along and ‘try out’ the room sets as part of Heal’s’ new campaign launch, British Designers at Heal’s.

The #HealsBritishDesigners window installations will be live in Westbourne Grove until August 31st. They are free to experience, and more information can be found at here.

In February 2018, the V&A will re-imagine the golden age of ocean travel with the major new exhibition, Ocean Liners: Speed & Style, sponsored by Viking Cruises. Co-organised by the V&A in London and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, it is the first ever exhibition to explore the design and cultural impact of the ocean liner on an international scale. It will explore all aspects of ship design from ground-breaking engineering, architecture and interiors to the fashion and lifestyle aboard.

Ocean Liners: Speed & Style will showcase over 250 objects, including paintings, sculpture, and ship models, alongside objects from shipyards, wall panels, furniture, fashion, textiles, photographs, posters and film. It will display objects never-before-seen in Europe, and reunite objects not seen together since on-board these spectacular vessels, which revolutionised ocean travel from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century.

Highlights include a precious Cartier tiara recovered from the sinking Lusitania in 1915, as well as a panel fragment from the Titanic’s first class lounge, returning to the UK for the first time since its doomed maiden voyage in 1912. Others include a stunning interior panel from the Smoking Room of the French liner, Normandie, created by leading Art Deco lacquer artist Jean Dunand, and Stanley Spencer’s painting ‘The Riveters’ from the 1941 series Shipbuilding on the Clyde. The Duke of Windsor’s sumptuous 1940s Goyard luggage will also feature, on display in Europe for the first time since leaving the Windsor Estate. As the largest machines of their age, ocean liners became powerful symbols of progress and 20th century modernity. The exhibition will also feature ground-breaking works by Modernist artists, designers and architects inspired by liners, including Le Corbusier, Albert Gleizes, Charles Demuth and Eileen Gray.

Beginning with Brunel’s steamship, the Great Eastern of 1859, the exhibition will trace the design stories behind some of the world’s most luxurious liners, from the Beaux-Arts interiors of Kronprinz Wilhelm, Titanic and its sister ship, Olympic, to the floating Art Deco palaces of Queen Mary and Normandie, and the streamlined Modernism of SS United States and QE2. It will throw light on the famous passengers and the great couturiers who looked to ocean travel to promote their designs. On display will be the Christian Dior suit worn by Marlene Dietrich as she arrived in New York aboard the Queen Mary in 1950, and a striking Lucien Lelong couture gown worn for the maiden voyage of Normandie in 1935. The exhibition will also showcase one of the most important flapper dresses in the V&A’s collection – Jeanne Lanvin’s ‘Salambo’ dress – a version of which was displayed at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925. The dress belonged to Emilie Grigsby, a renowned wealthy American beauty, who regularly travelled between the UK and New York aboard the Aquitania, Olympic and Lusitania throughout the 1910s and 1920s.

Ghislaine Wood, exhibition curator, said: “The great age of ocean liners has long passed but no form of transport has been so romantic or so remarkable. Three years in the making, this exhibition will show how liners have shaped the modern world in many ways.”

Ocean Liners: Speed & Style will reveal the largely forgotten history of leading artists and designers who contributed to their design, such as William De Morgan, Richard Riemerschmid, Jean Dunand, Edward Bawden and Edward Ardizzone. It will also highlight the political shifts and the international rivalry that developed over 100 years, as liners became floating showcases of national ingenuity. The exhibition will consider the sociology of ships and shifting class structures on-board, as well as the democratisation of travel and development of leisure activities in the 20th century. It will also investigate the shrewd promotional strategies used by shipping companies to reposition the on-board experience, as emigration gave way to aspirational travel. The ocean liner has been appropriated into pop-culture, literature and films, including Ronald Neame’s dystopian The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and James Cameron’s Titanic (1997), which remains one of the most successful films ever made. This, and the phenomenon of the modern cruise liner will also be explored, demonstrating how nostalgia for the great ‘floating palaces’ of the past can still be felt today.

Artist Sam Gare, from Morden London, has announced an exhibition of her work at the renowned Curious Duke Gallery near Old Street, launching on Tuesday 4 July for a limited time only. The exhibition, titled ‘Might’, will raise money for blood cancer research charity Bloodwise, after Sam was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia earlier this year.

Sam, 34, has teamed up with her friend Eleni Duke, 27 - who became the capital’s youngest gallerist when she opened the Curious Duke Gallery on Whitecross Street in 2011 – to host the exhibition running from 4 to 8 July 2017 and solely featuring Sam’s impressive and striking work.

The exhibition is a way for Sam to combine her passion for art with her determination to raise money to fund research that is helping to find more targeted treatments for patients with blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

“Unfortunately there are so many types of blood cancer still affecting and taking many lives, and it is charities like Bloodwise that have helped fund the research for treatments like mine. The exhibition will reflect the strength and power of both mountains and those fighting cancer and will display my artwork from the last few years, with 50% of all sales going directly to the charity.

Eleni Duke, adds: “we are honoured to be hosting this exhibition for Samantha Gare by raising awareness for blood cancer and showing support to Samantha’s emerging artistic career. We delighted to be able support this event as the chosen venue as well as to inspire viewers with the beauty of Samantha’s art work.”

Curious Duke Gallery will be hosting the opening night on the 4th July 6-9 exhibiting 15 pieces of Sam Gare’s Art work.

Here is a list of exhibitions at the V&A in August 2017 so you can save the date and pop them in the diary.

PLYWOOD: MATERIAL OF THE MODERN WORLD 15 July – 12 November 2017 (Sponsored by MADE.COM ) Supported by the American Friends of the V&A

Light, strong, affordable and versatile, plywood is the unlikely material behind an eclectic array of ground-breaking designs celebrated in a world-first exhibition at the V&A this summer. From the fastest and highest-flying aeroplane of WWII, the de Havilland Mosquito, to the downloadable self-assembly WikiHouse, more than 120 objects are brought to explore how the often-overlooked product has helped create the modern world.

The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains is the first international retrospective of Pink Floyd, one of the world’s most pioneering and influential bands. This multi-sensory exhibition, featuring over 350 objects, examines Pink Floyd’s extraordinary worlds; chronicling the music, design and staging of the band, from their debut in the 60s through to the present day. The exhibition has been produced in close consultation with the three surviving band members and has been curated by Aubrey Powell, the Creative Director of Pink Floyd, with a V&A team led by Senior Curator Victoria Broackes.

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion is the first ever UK exhibition to explore the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga, one of the most influential and revered designers of the 20th century. Balenciaga’s unique and forward-thinking vision of female beauty, innovative use of textiles and ingenious pattern-cutting shaped the modernity of 1960s fashion and continues to influence fashion today. This exhibition is the first of its kind to examine Balenciaga’s unique approach to making and showcases pieces by his protégés and contemporary designers working in similarly innovative ways. The exhibition marks the centenary of the opening of Balenciaga’s first fashion house in San Sebastian and the 80th anniversary of the opening of his famous fashion house in Paris.

The global fame of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) owes much to his 1831 ‘Under the Wave off Kanagawa’, better known as ‘The Great Wave’. This display draws on ephemera collected by Christine Guth while researching her recent publication Hokusai's Great Wave: The Biography of a Global Icon (2015) to show some of the myriad and sometimes unexpected ways in which this iconic image has been recycled or appropriated. It includes an original example of ‘The Great Wave’ from the V&A’s collection.

Admission Free

DESIGNING THE V&A 6 May 2017 – 7 January 2018

Architecture, Room 128a

Through original drawings and photographs, this display highlights the artists, designers and engineers who created the V&A, charting the building's transformation from the 1850s to today, culminating with the opening of the Exhibition Road Quarter the V&A’s largest architectural intervention in 100 years.

The V&A Illustration Awards are held annually to recognise the very best of book, editorial and student illustration in the UK. This year’s winners were A. Richard Allen, JARVIS, Aino-Maija Metsola and Beatriz Lostalé Seijo. Past winners include Ralph Steadman, Posy Simmonds, Michael Forman and Sara Fanelli. With generous financial support from the Enid Linder Foundation, this display of winning entries demonstrates the vitality and scope of contemporary illustration and its enduring power to shape our reception of the written word.

Admission Free

CONTEMPORARY KOREAN CERAMICS 19 May 2017 – 11 February 2018

Ceramics Gallery

By bringing together the work of 15 emerging and established artists from Korea, this display offers an insight into the richness of contemporary Korean studio ceramic practice. A number of the featured artists are inspired by historical Korean ceramics such as inlaid celadons from the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) and buncheong ware and white porcelains of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Others experiment with new technologies and alternative materials, or use ceramics as a medium to engage with contemporary issues ranging from mass-consumption and pop culture to the destruction of Korea's architectural heritage.

Admission Free

RACHEL KNEEBONE AT THE V&A 1 April 2017 – 14 January 2018

Gallery 50a and Gallery 21

Porcelain sculptures by contemporary British artist Rachel Kneebone are on display amongst masterpieces of the V&A’s sculpture collection. 399 Days, the largest and most ambitious sculpture the artist has ever produced can be seen in the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries (Gallery 50a). A 5m high porcelain tower featuring intricately modelled and detailed figurative scenarios, the sculpture combines minute detail and towering scale. Until 6th August, three of the artist’s sculptures can be viewed in the Hintze Sculpture Galleries (Gallery 21) amongst Auguste Rodin's bronzes. Placed alongside these sculptures on the centenary of Rodin's death, this display highlights the artists’ shared interest in capturing emotive states – hope, longing, loss and suffering – while also offering a comparison between their choice of materials and techniques.

This Study Day allows visitors to discover how to use digital negatives to create salt print photographs and explore one of the earliest historical photographic processes. The hands on workshop will begin by making a digital negative inspired by the museum environment, and will then take visitors step-by-step through the process of coating papers, making an exposure and fixing their own salt print image.

Dulwich Picture Gallery will celebrate 200 years since it first opened to the public with a summer of free Friday Lates centred around its new pavilion. The themed evenings will include performance, talks, and music, bringing together a variety of experts from across the art and design world. Visitors can also relax and unwind in the pavilion bar with food and drink provided by The Camberwell Arms.

To mark the bicentenary of the Gallery, which was the first in the UK designed for public access to art, visitors can also enjoy free entry to the Permanent Collection every Friday from 6 – 10pm.

The Dulwich Pavilion, designed by emerging South London-based architects, IF_DO, features a series of mirrored screens, reflecting the Gallery’s iconic architecture and surrounding gardens. It will be free for all to explore throughout the summer and will open late on Fridays throughout June and July with a different line-up of cultural activities each week.

The pavilion bar, which will be open throughout the weekend, will offer a special drinks menu including classic cocktails with a twist. It will also serve a variety of small plates devised by Mike Davies, Head Chef at The Camberwell Arms.

Jenna Mason, Public Programme Producer, said:

“The Dulwich Pavilion is the ideal setting to get your culture and cocktail fix this summer – and we’re opening after hours on Fridays to provide the perfect start the weekend. The Pavilion’s moveable panels have allowed us to programme a range of immersive activities and thought-provoking debate from experts in the field of art and design. We’ll also be bringing events into the inspiring setting of the Permanent Collection where visitors will see the old masters in a whole new way – and hopefully leave with their curiosity fed!”

The Dulwich Pavilion has been developed in partnership with the London Festival of Architecture and Almacantar with additional support from Arts Council England.

Bea’s of Bloomsbury are delighted to announce the return of their famous Valentine’s Afternoon Tea and treats. What makes this year extra special is the addition of brand new homemade treats from Bea’s onsite kitchens.

Founded in 2008, Bea's of Bloomsbury are a modern bakery, serving inspired treats, afternoon teas, traditional breakfasts and lunches, with a twist, together with a fine array of beverages, using only the finest ingredients, at great locations, around London.

For their many fans, Bea’s famous Valentine’s Afternoon Tea is back for one day only on 14th February.

Included in the afternoon tea will be amazing new Heart Macaroons with raspberry & rose filling and Bea’s brilliant Brownies, made into a heart shapes, just for the occasion. The Marylebone, St Paul’s, and Bloomsbury locations will all be open until 9pm, and priced at just £50 for 2 people, It’s the perfect way to treat your special someone to a really enjoyable experience, complimented by great service.

Bea’s offer a take away service at all locations, and if you would rather enjoy your Valentine treats at home, this year there are boxes of 6 romance inspired cupcakes, and Triple Chocolate Cake, for serious chocolate lovers – perfect for sharing. Starting from £1.85, Valentine’s with Bea’s is truly an affordable luxury.

Valentine’s treats start from just £1.80 and the afternoon tea is £50 for two.

‘Haute Couture is like an orchestra whose conductor is Balenciaga. We other couturiers are the musicians and we follow the direction he gives.’ Christian Dior.

This May, the V&A will open the first ever UK exhibition exploring the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga and his continuing influence on modern fashion. It will be the first of its kind to look at his unique approach to making and will showcase pieces by his protégés and contemporary designers working in the same innovative way today. The exhibition marks the centenary of the opening of Balenciaga’s first fashion house in San Sebastian and the 80th anniversary of the opening of his famous fashion house in Paris.

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion will focus on the latter part of Balenciaga’s long career in the 1950s and 1960s, arguably one of his most creative periods. It was during these years that he not only dressed some of the most renowned women of the time, but also introduced revolutionary shapes including the tunic, the sack, ‘baby doll’ and shift dress – all of which remain style staples today. Highlights will include ensembles made by Balenciaga for Hollywood actress Ava Gardner, dresses and hats belonging to socialite and 1960s fashion icon Gloria Guinness, and pieces worn by one of the world’s wealthiest women, Mona von Bismarck, who commissioned everything from ball-gowns to gardening shorts from the couturier.

On display will be over 100 garments and 20 hats, many of which have never been on public display before. These will be accompanied by archive sketches, patterns, photographs, fabric samples and catwalk footage revealing Balenciaga’s uncompromising creativity. In addition x-rays, animated patterns and short films on couture-making processes will uncover the hidden details that made his work so exceptional. The exhibition will draw mostly on the V&A’s fashion holdings – the largest collection of Balenciaga in the UK. The collection was initiated for the Museum by Cecil Beaton in the 1970s.

Cassie Davies-Strodder, V&A exhibition curator, said: “Cristóbal Balenciaga was one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. Revered by his contemporaries, including Coco Chanel and Hubert de Givenchy, his exquisite craftsmanship, pioneering use of fabric and innovative cutting set the tone for the modernity of the late 20th century fashion. The exhibition will show his lasting impact on fashion through the work of those who trained with him and through recent garments by designers including Molly Goddard, Demna Gvasalia and J.W. Anderson who reflect the legacy of his vision today.”

For the first time the V&A has used x-ray technology to take a forensic look at the hidden details inside Cristóbal Balenciaga’s garments. These images, made with x-ray artist Nick Veasey, show structures invisible to the naked eye, including dress weights strategically placed to determine the exact hang of the skirt in one of Balenciaga’s most minimal designs, and boning in dress bodices, dispelling the myth that he did not use such structures. In partnership with the London College of Fashion, pattern cutting students have taken patterns from some of the most iconic Balenciaga garments in the V&A’s collection. These have been digitised and animated to show how these building blocks come together to form the finished piece. In a number of cases, the patterns reveal that the main body of the garment has been crafted from one single piece of fabric, demonstrating Balenciaga’s mastery of materials. Three of these animations will be displayed alongside Balenciaga’s original garments to give a deeper understanding of each.

The exhibition will be organised around three main sections: ‘Front of House’, including Balenciaga’s salons, behind the scenes in Balenciaga’s ‘Workrooms’ and the lasting impact of ‘Balenciaga’s Legacy’. The Balenciaga brand still references its founder today, yet his influence spreads far wider. The ‘Legacy’ section will feature the work of over 30 designers of the last 50 years tracing the influence of this most revered figure in fashion right up to the present day. Themes include an exploration of his minimalist aesthetic reflected in the work of his former apprentices André Courrèges and Emanuel Ungaro, and more recently revived by designers such as Phoebe Philo for Celine and in the strong lines of J.W. Anderson. Balenciaga’s perfectionism and attention to detail are reflected in the work of Hubert de Givenchy and Erdem. His pattern cutting and explorations of volume can be seen in the work of Molly Goddard and Demna Gvasalia, while his creative use of new materials is referenced in the work of former Balenciaga creative director Nicolas Ghesquière.

This January, Social Wine & Tapas has joined London’s burgeoning brunch scene with the introduction of a flavourful, Spanish-inspired brunch menu designed for sharing. Developed by Executive Head Chef, Frankie Van Loo, the menu spans carefully curated plates of modern tapas-style dishes made using the best of British produce. The brunch is available every Saturday from 12:00pm until 15.30pm.

Offering dishes far more exciting than the usual eggs benedict and avocado on toast, the innovative menu is split into six sections ranging from small ‘para picar’ plates such as jamón and manchego toastie with quail’s egg to larger plates of egg, vegetable, fish and meat options. A re-imagined version of Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social signature dish the full English breakfast makes a return, combining tomato fondue, mushroom ketchup, slow cooked egg, potato foam, smoked pancetta, and black pudding. With additional standout dishes including pan fried hens egg, chorizo jam and avocado on brioche, roast suckling pig with morcilla croquette and apple-cider caramel and honey truffle burrata, Brogdale apples, pear and chestnut.

To complete the experience in true Spanish style, delicious cinnamon dusted churros with thick hot chocolate for dipping will be amongst the dessert options.

Guests can order a selection of dishes from the brunch menu or opt for the ‘Feed Me Brunch’ offer for £20 per person. A surprise selection of Frankie’s favourite brunch plates, including off-menu specials, will be served to share.

The Revolutions Weekender: A Festival of Peace, Love and Music will see the V&A host free events and activities including live music, theatrical performances, talks and film screenings from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 November. Highlights will include a new stage adaptation of John Lennon’s first book and poetry and song from legendary poet Michael Horovitz and visual artist Vanessa Vie. Plus the culmination of the Levi’s® Music project, with 12 young people mentored by grime artist Skepta as part of a partnership with Levi’s® to establish a community youth music space giving a special performance (tickets are available to win this week via the V&A’s social media channels).

Across the weekend the diverse programme of events take inspiration from the current exhibition You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966- 70, exploring the era-defining significance and impact of the late 1960s upon life today: 1960s inspired DJ sets; discussions ranging from contemporary political activism to 1960s fashion and psychedelia; intimate live gigs from the Royal College of Music and Beatie Wolfe, and screenings and readings of revolutionary film and literature.

You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966 – 1970 investigates the upheaval, the explosive sense of freedom, and the legal changes that took place resulting in a fundamental shift in the mindset of the Western world. Tickets £16 (concessions available). V&A Members go free.

Whichever way you decide to throw yourself into the spooky festivities, be sure to take advantage of the memorable themed cakes that Bea’s innovatively design year after year. Whether you are hosting a scary movie night and plump for a gift box of creepily decorated cupcakes, or are holding a party where you wish to impress (read: terrify) your guests with ghostly meringues and killer brownies, Bea’s are on hand to fulfil your decorating requests.

Pop in for a light bite with their “ghouls” or, if you dare, join them for a Halloween Afternoon Tea, where the “monster” in the best Halloween costume at each of their 3 cafes will win a £50 gift voucher! With five London boutique locations, including the excitingly anticipated Marylebone opening, Bea’s has unveiled new interiors with the signature colour of blue changed for exquisite pastel shades of pinks, caramels, and creams. They are open seven days a week and are proud to serve London’s finest cakes and afternoon teas.

The special one-off afternoon tea is £26.50 a head, includes a glass of fizz and the aforementioned creepy treats and will be available on the 31st at the Marylebone, St Pauls, and Bloomsbury locations. However, the Halloween treats will be available across all the venues.

‘Music of the Spheres’ is an ancient philosophical concept that sees divine harmonic musical proportions in the movements of celestial bodies, and marble is a material that has been the backbone of fine art expression since Classical. Times. In her retrospective exhibition at sketch, designer Lara Bohinc fuses these eternal ideas together in the presentation of a selection of her works in marble, based around the geometric perfection of the circle.

Intricately designed and made with exquisite care, the ‘Solaris’ kinetic coffee table inhabits an interstitial space between jewellery and furniture. The extreme attention to detail of Bohinc’s pieces made to be worn by the body is scaled up; here, stone slices and curved metal parts combine in construction that applies innovative technologies to traditional craft. Four stacked rings of marble move smoothly on a rotation spindle like a range of planets rotating around the sun, its golden light echoed in the highly polished circular brass dishes which are inset into the marble plates. The table is ever changing, as the plates can be easily moved around its axis; from a totally closed circle it can be spread open to almost double its size.

Following the design language of ‘Solaris’, the ‘Full Moon’ table from second ‘Lunar’ collection also takes inspiration from the planets and their orbital movements, featuring richly-coloured marbles set like precious jewels within brass or 18ct. gold-plated steel rims. The table is constructed entirely from interlocking horizontal and vertical discs, which are bisected, deconstructed or overlaid, building hypnotic surface patterns, and forming dynamically poised bases and tops.

The union of brass and marble continues in the ‘Star Gazer’ candlesticks. These are inspired by Orreries, clockwork mechanical models of the Solar System which have been used since Classical times. Circular pillars of coloured marble tones range from Portuguese peach to deep green Verdi from Guatemala, through black, grey and white, accented with gold-tone brass globes.

The ‘Half Moon Mirror’ deconstructs the perfection of the Circles previously used by slicing one in two and rotating its halves into a dynamic contradiction. Framed by the light and dark tones of white Carrara and Nero Machina black marble, it’s as if an cosmic eclipse solidified into a tangible object of beauty.

Lara Bohinc’s collaboration with stone experts Lapicida was initiated by Wallpaper* magazine for their ‘Handmade’ project, which was launched in an exhibition during Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2014. Since then this collaboration has produced two more collections.

Because The World Is Round: An exhibition of Lara Bohinc’s selected works in marble at sketch, from 04 October - 31 November 2016.

The HOUSE Fair co-located with the Spirit of Summer Fair is returning to Olympia London from 22-25 June 2016. Presenting a prestigious collection of over 450 independent boutiques and distinguished designers, in addition to some of the finest brands in the UK, it is the perfect place for discerning audiences looking for unique products from a handpicked selection of exhibitors.

The HOUSE Fair is delighted to announce some of the exciting exhibitors that will be showcasing their collections at the event. From exquisite rugs from Amy Kent to luxury furniture from Turnpost and the beautiful floor tiles at Reed Harris. Expect other brands including Adventures in Furniture, Ana Barreto, Greige, Jonathan Field, Lombok, Prêt À Vivre, The Oak & Rope Company and The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse and of course the inspiring KLC School of Design to name just a few.

From kitchens, lighting and furniture to floor and wall coverings, decorative accessories and even interior and garden design, The HOUSE Fair is a unique resource for specialist expertise, design excellence.

Award winning product and interior designer Lee Broom is unveiling his latest lighting collection, Optical, in a unique installation staged inside his studio’s delivery van, driven all the way to Milan from his London HQ. The van will pitch up on different days in the city’s key design hotspots during Milan Design week, these include Brera Design District, Spazio Rossana Orlandi, ZonaTortona, San Gregorio Docet, Ventura Lambrate and more.

Called ‘SALONE DEL AUTOMOBILE’, presented inside Broom’s industrial grey and white liveried delivery van, the back doors will open to reveal a dramatic recreation of a traditional Italian palazzo along with his new lighting range. The interior - all in Lee Broom signature grey - with its ornate Corinthian columns, architrave and stuccoed detail will be the unexpected backdrop for the crisp simplicity of his new monochrome lighting collection Optical. Highlighted from below by an illuminated floor, the result is an engaging moment for people to experience as they walk past the van.

Lee Broom says: “I wanted to make the same impact as last year but without creating a huge installation. While deciding where I should exhibit I thought - what about everywhere? Making my Salone del Mobile mobile is an exciting way to exhibit. My designs are often surreal and the idea behind the installation is to see something unexpected — a captivating optical illusion.”

The Optical collection’s floor and pendant lights reflect Broom’s recent move towards more understated, modern designs. Yet the Op Art-inspired graphic patterns on the illuminated globes echo the asymmetry of some of Broom’s previous designs, such as his Crescent light. When viewed from all sides, Optical’s linear pattern changes at every angle.

Optical also holds strong personal associations for Broom: “It’s really inspired by the period in which I grew up in. I guess my first real foray into interiors was decorating my own bedroom in the early 90’s and Optical really reflects the monochrome graphics and mood of that era."

Acclaimed landscape designer Phillip Johnson has teamed up with the creators of the 5000 Poppies Project to showcase a vast tribute of almost 300,000 handcrafted poppies at 2016 RHS Chelsea Flower Show from 24-28 May 2016. The ambitious display will honour all servicemen and women who have fought across all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations over the last 100 years. This unique event is being made possible through the support of the Victorian Government and Qantas.

5000 Poppies Federation Sqaure

Phillip Johnson’s ambitious, elegant design for Chelsea will incorporate a stunning selection of poppies from 50,000 contributors from across the globe. The design features a simple central geometric installation, complemented by more than 25,000 stemmed poppies extending into the manicured lawns of the Chelsea Hospital.

5000 Poppies Project Fed Square April 2015

Overall the design will cover almost 2,000 sqm (21,500 sqft). This will be the first time that the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has connected into the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in such a dramatic way, and RHS Chelsea organisers expect the installation to be a highlight at the Show.

This vast project came from humble beginnings and sparked massive international community interest. In 2013, Australian creators Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight set out to crochet just 120 crocheted poppies to plant at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne in honour of their fathers who both fought in WWII. A huge outpouring of community spirit and creative energy took this project to an unprecedented scale.

Margaret Knight

By Remembrance Day 2013 more than 5,000 poppies had been collected, and by Anzac Day 2015 the total was well in excess of quarter of a million poppies from contributors around the globe. The result was a spectacular visual tribute in Melbourne’s landmark Federation Square and on Princes Bridge, and led to an invitation to showcase at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The aim to honour all servicemen and women reflects the way that the project has grown to include many contributors from other countries and cultures.

Mercanteinfiera, Europe’s oldest International Fair of modernism, antiques and collectibles opened its doors for the 34th time last weekend. The largest event of its kind in Italy, the twice yearly show returns to the historic and gastronomic city of Parma attracting more than 50,000 antique and design lovers, vintage enthusiasts, individual collectors, and hunters of curiosities from all over the world. This enormous, eclectic market with over 1,000 international exhibitors is a unique treasure trove selling everything from antiques and retro-modern furniture, to vintage jewellery and fashions.

For nine days from the 3rd until 11th October, Parma’s exhibition space Fiere di Parma will be transformed into a curious and unexpected city of antiquities and delights. The fair is spread across four pavillions with sections devoted to vintage fashions and jewellery, antiques, furniture, vintage cars and the ‘Green’ area with antiquities and object d’art to transform gardens, outdoor spaces and verandas. There are dedicated food and drink areas and ATM’s on site and a shuttle bus from the city.

The Northern Italian city of Parma is a vibrant city with a rich and diverse cultural history. From Verdi's music and Correggio's exquisite art, to the city's spectacular architecture and its world famous foods, the area's history and culture are an inseparable part of its identity. Known as the heart of The Food Valley, Parma is widely celebrated for its long-standing and established gastronomic traditions and foods. The city has its own airport and easy access to regional cities like Bologna and Milan.

Mercanteinfiera is a 9 day event being held from 3rd October to the 11th October 2015 in Parma, Italy. The exhibitions takes place twice a year in Spring and Autumn. For more information and tickets please visit www.mercanteinfiera.it

To celebrate the launch of Lee Broom’s first collection of vases, for one week only, his flagship store has become ‘The Flower Shop’. Available exclusively at the store, the ‘Podium’ vases takes centre stage in an immersive floral display throughout the store which has been completely re-designed for the event.

The Podium vases play with the sculptural quality of balance and asymmetric silhouettes. Combining heavy weight marble with transparent glass, the collection continues Broom’s fascination with opposing materials brought together to create playful yet elegant pieces. The three glass vessel shapes are interchangeable between either the round white or black square marble base and can be selected in the desired combination. Podium is only available for purchase exclusively at Lee Broom’s flagship store or online at leebroom.com.

Following the success of his recent award winning Milan show ‘The Department Store’, Lee Broom is also presenting his new 25 piece collection for the first time in London. Furniture, lighting and accessories are presented in glass display cases and on marble plinths surrounded by a sweeping display of fresh flowers inspired by Broom’s collections.

“With every London Design Festival we like to transform our space into something new and 2015 will be no exception. With brand new products, a profusion of flowers and edible floral treats, it is sure to be a complete sensory experience.” Lee Broom

Whether you’re an architect, an interior designer, or a journalist, design festivals are where you go to find something new, something different, something you can’t find from the comfort of your desk and more often than not those things come from independent designers. Tent London has been championing independent designers, both well known and emerging, since it was founded in 2007. “What we’re interested in showing is good design,” says Tent director and cofounder Jimmy MacDonald. “We don’t care whether that comes from more established or younger designers, as long as the quality is there. That’s what people come to Tent to see – good design and new ideas.”

Janie Knitted Textiles - Indigo dyed lighting

Showing for the first time at Tent this year is Dome Studio, tipped as this year’s ‘one to watch.’ Dome designers, Tom Whiteway and Jonathan Blayney, will be sharing their fresh take on furniture, presenting their interior Edit Wall Tile range. They will be joined by the ever colourful Primary Grey and selfconfessed ‘woodnerd’ Ted Jefferis of TedWood.]

TipToe stool, HexTop, TedWood, English Elm, & Brass

Inspired by interactive sensory design is newcomer Emily Skinner with her interior products and wall coverings brand, Evan James Design. Other designers joining Tent with a collection of surface pattern designs will be Emma Richmond and her brand HJEM with a series of nature inspired home accessories and paper goods as will New York based Flavor Paper with a range of handprinted l-wallpaper. Daniel Schofield will be at Tent for his first solo show. His intuitive use of materials has resulted in a tactile range of stools, accessories and lighting. Indian inspired soft furnishings brand Safomasi will be debuting at Tent London, as will Danzo Studio, Mestiz and Mark McClure, all with fresh new ideas to share.

Mountain Cushion by HJEM

The Country Pavilions will also be full of independent designers with exciting new work. The London Design Festival’s first Finnish Pavilion, Finnish Form, will comprise work from 18 designers, including Kasper Nyman’s Onda Chair and in its 12th year, 100% Norway will showcase 33 of the country’s strongest independent designers and design studios.

Safomasi Alleppey Collection, Coconut Palm Pickers quilts & cushions

As well as launching the careers of the rising stars, Tent London is where established names come to show their latest work. Sue Pryke (exWedgewood, IKEA and M&S), Louise Wilkinson, MercerMercer and Mr Wingate will all be presenting new collections at this year’s show.

Heart Home

Launched in September 2011, British Interior Design magazine Heart Home is a quarterly publication celebrating all that is unique and good about interior decor and lifestyle. Championing independent British Designers and inspiring readers to create their own great British Homes.

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